Field



i NiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN GREENFIELD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL E. GAVIN, OF SAME PLACE.

COMPOUND FOR CLEANING MARBLE, 84c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,713, dated August 16, 1881.

Application filed May 20, 1881. (No specimens.)

painted wood-work and walls, windows and looking glasses, oil cloths, floors, tinware, crockery, silver-Ware, &c. and it consists of a compound the composition of which is fully set forth hereinafter, said compound having the properties of very slightly removing the surface, cleansing the dirt from the pores, removing grease, and bleaching the stone or marble.

Heretofore marble and stone generally, to which this compound is particularly adapted as a cleansing agent, was cleaned by the use of a chisel, removing considerable of the surface and often defacing the statues, strong acids, which eat into the stone, destroying the surface, or rubbing hard with a piece of stone,

abrading the surface; but in all of these in:

stances the work is slow, expensive, and very destructive to the article operated upon, and such treatment is only adapted to stone, and could not be used for the various purposes set forth above.

The object of this invention is to produce a compound capable of cleansing and improving nearly all articles, particularly stone and marble, of all manner of stains, said compound to be cheap to manufacture and perfectly uninjurious in its nature.

The composition I prefer is as follows: To one pound of fine marble-dust add one pound of whiting, one ounce of bicarbonate of soda, one ounce ofv borax, and one ounce of carbonate of soda, all in a finely-pulverized condi tion, and when used for the removal of stains of long standing and of a persistent nature from marble, 860., add to the above compound one-quarter of an ounce of cyanide of potas sium and mix thoroughly.

In the above compound the fine marbledust and whiting mixed together remove the surface to an exceedingly small extent, not even removing the polish from highly-polished marbles; the bicarbonate of soda enters the pores and cleanses the marble of dirt; the borax bleaches the marble, imparting to it the original whiteness, and the carbonate of soda extracts and removes all the grease; and in cases in which the stain is of long standing and obstinate the effect of the cyanide of potassium is seen at once by its removal, though but a very small quantity of this substance must be used, and in ninetynine (99) cases out of one hundred (100) it would not be used at all. These substances, with or without the cyanide of potassium, as the case may be, are thoroughly mixed together, and in that condition the compound is put in tins or boxes.

In using to cleanse marble and stone when only dirtied or yellowed by age the powder is used with a brush or wet cloth, and a dry one used afterward butto remove stains-such as ink, oil, grease, &c.-some powder is dissolved in a little water, so as to make a thick liquid or a paste, and spread over the stain, and let 7 5 remain for a few minutes, and then rubbed oif and the marble wiped dry.

When cleaning painted wood-work, glasses, oil-cloths, floors, tinware, &c., a small quantity of powder is dissolved in a large quantity .of water and then used with a sponge, scrubbing-brush, or cloth.

Although I prefer the proportions named, I do not confine myself to these exact quantities, as they may be varied without practically departing from my invention. The main feature of this compound is that it has the properties of cleansing, removin g grease and stains, and bleaching combined.

Having now described my invention, what 0 I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described compound for clean ing marble, &c., consisting of an intimate mixture, in a pulverized condition, of marble-dust, 9 5 whiting, bicarbonate of soda, borax, and carbonate of soda, substantially in the proportions named, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand. Y

BENJAMIN GREENFIELD,

Witnesses:

L. J. MA'ros, THos. J. HUNT,

Mr M 

